In α−RuCl3, an external magnetic field applied within the honeycomb plane can induce a transition from a magnetically ordered state to a disordered state that is potentially related to the Kitaev quantum spin liquid. In zero field, single crystals with minimal stacking faults display a low-temperature state with in-plane zigzag antiferromagnetic order and a three-layer periodicity in the direction perpendicular to the honeycomb planes. Here, we present angle-dependent magnetization, ac susceptibility, and thermal transport data that demonstrate the presence of an additional intermediate-field ordered state at fields below the transition to the disordered phase. Neutron-diffraction results show that the magnetic structure in this phase is characterized by a six-layer periodicity in the direction perpendicular to the honeycomb planes. Theoretically, the intermediate ordered phase can be accounted for by including spin-anisotropic couplings between the layers in a three-dimensional spin model. Together, this demonstrates the importance of interlayer exchange interactions in α−RuCl3.
Description
Phys. Rev. B 103, 174417 (2021) - Field-induced intermediate ordered phase and anisotropic interlayer interactions in $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{RuCl}}_{3}$
%0 Journal Article
%1 PhysRevB.103.174417
%A Balz, C.
%A Janssen, L.
%A Lampen-Kelley, P.
%A Banerjee, A.
%A Liu, Y. H.
%A Yan, Jan Q.
%A Mandrus, D. G.
%A Vojta, M.
%A Nagler, S. E.
%D 2021
%I American Physical Society
%J Phys. Rev. B
%K d
%N 17
%P 174417
%R 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.174417
%T Field-induced intermediate ordered phase and anisotropic interlayer interactions in α-RuCl$_3$
%U https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.174417
%V 103
%X In α−RuCl3, an external magnetic field applied within the honeycomb plane can induce a transition from a magnetically ordered state to a disordered state that is potentially related to the Kitaev quantum spin liquid. In zero field, single crystals with minimal stacking faults display a low-temperature state with in-plane zigzag antiferromagnetic order and a three-layer periodicity in the direction perpendicular to the honeycomb planes. Here, we present angle-dependent magnetization, ac susceptibility, and thermal transport data that demonstrate the presence of an additional intermediate-field ordered state at fields below the transition to the disordered phase. Neutron-diffraction results show that the magnetic structure in this phase is characterized by a six-layer periodicity in the direction perpendicular to the honeycomb planes. Theoretically, the intermediate ordered phase can be accounted for by including spin-anisotropic couplings between the layers in a three-dimensional spin model. Together, this demonstrates the importance of interlayer exchange interactions in α−RuCl3.
@article{PhysRevB.103.174417,
abstract = {In α−RuCl3, an external magnetic field applied within the honeycomb plane can induce a transition from a magnetically ordered state to a disordered state that is potentially related to the Kitaev quantum spin liquid. In zero field, single crystals with minimal stacking faults display a low-temperature state with in-plane zigzag antiferromagnetic order and a three-layer periodicity in the direction perpendicular to the honeycomb planes. Here, we present angle-dependent magnetization, ac susceptibility, and thermal transport data that demonstrate the presence of an additional intermediate-field ordered state at fields below the transition to the disordered phase. Neutron-diffraction results show that the magnetic structure in this phase is characterized by a six-layer periodicity in the direction perpendicular to the honeycomb planes. Theoretically, the intermediate ordered phase can be accounted for by including spin-anisotropic couplings between the layers in a three-dimensional spin model. Together, this demonstrates the importance of interlayer exchange interactions in α−RuCl3.},
added-at = {2021-06-24T13:40:43.000+0200},
author = {Balz, C. and Janssen, L. and Lampen-Kelley, P. and Banerjee, A. and Liu, Y. H. and Yan, Jan Q. and Mandrus, D. G. and Vojta, M. and Nagler, S. E.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/29c56de0e5653f9ee0d9e4defa14d2ccc/ctqmat},
day = 13,
description = {Phys. Rev. B 103, 174417 (2021) - Field-induced intermediate ordered phase and anisotropic interlayer interactions in $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{RuCl}}_{3}$},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.103.174417},
interhash = {64a9deba0651a5cfa97a2699efa2e8b4},
intrahash = {9c56de0e5653f9ee0d9e4defa14d2ccc},
journal = {Phys. Rev. B},
keywords = {d},
month = may,
number = 17,
numpages = {12},
pages = 174417,
publisher = {American Physical Society},
timestamp = {2023-10-20T08:08:55.000+0200},
title = {Field-induced intermediate ordered phase and anisotropic interlayer interactions in α-RuCl$_{\mathbf{3}}$},
url = {https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.174417},
volume = 103,
year = 2021
}